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TRP: Goro and Pride (Insect)
Day 383, Pride's palace. The palace was quiet when Goro woke up -- upstairs, in the boudoir. The balcony doors were open, the constant, mild breeze fluttering the gauzy curtains, but Pride didn't appear to be in the room. LINA Goro wasted no time climbing off the couch and beginning his hunt. He went to the door that, if he remembered correctly, opened onto a landing and some stairs, and opened it. IZZY Downstairs, he could hear the notes of a lyre being played very quietly. It was a slow and melancholy tune. LINA Goro walked down the stairs, following the sound of the music. IZZY He found Pride down below in the sitting room, alone and delicately plucking the strings of a golden lyre with his dulled claws. His eyes were closed. He didn't acknowledge Goro. LINA Goro helped himself to a seat on the couch opposite Pride. IZZY When Goro came a little closer, Pride's eyes snapped open. He looked slightly startled, and stopped playing, but settled. "Ah. You know, your sleep patterns are odd. I can never be sure just when you'll show up." LINA "Are they?" Goro rubbed the back of his head. "Odd how?" IZZY "Erratic," he said. "Fitful." LINA "Oh. Well. Duh." He paused. "Even with Hansel?" IZZY "Less so," he acknowledged, nodding slightly. "What did you want to talk about? I assume everything went well on the island? The miasma that clouded my view has passed." LINA "Oh. Yeah, it was fine." Goro waved dismissively. "Made some friends, got those nutty sisters to get off their bullshit. So, are you planning to genocide the mortal races?" IZZY "No." He sounded amused. "What a question." LINA Goro narrowed his eyes. Tried to figure out if there'd been a loophole in the way he asked the question. IZZY Pride tilted his head curiously. LINA "You planning to make someone else do it for you?" IZZY "No. Where are these questions coming from?" he asked. "I thought we had reached a level of relative trust." LINA "Oh. No. That kinda thing doesn't exist for me. Don't take it personal." Goro paused. "Let someone else genocide the mortal races while you sit back and watch?" IZZY "I don't have any intention of carrying out or enabling any genocide of the mortal races," he said, politely. LINA Goro processed that for a moment, staring at Pride blankly, then nodded. "There's this paladin my friends have been talking to. Apparently they know you." IZZY Pride tilted his head again, thinking. "Hm. Ah. Ah ..." He snapped his fingers for a moment. "The insect." LINA Goro watched him struggle to remember, making no attempt to help. IZZY "Wasp? That's not it. Bee. Right." LINA "Yeah. So. Anyways. I ain't met them yet myself, but they're probably a dick, right? Not sure I wanna. Still, you get my questions, now." IZZY "Hm." He mulled this over. "Well, ask what you must." LINA "Did you kill Sam's mother?" IZZY "No." LINA "Did you... cause her death? Make her leave him?" IZZY "No," he said again. LINA "How about Corinne? Did you know she was gonna die?" IZZY "No." LINA Goro narrowed his eyes. "Did you hope she was gonna die?" IZZY "No," Pride said, more gently. LINA "Huh." Goro relaxed back on the couch. "Well, anyway." IZZY "Did the little insect tell you that they trapped Sakincha for three years?" he asked, with a trace of acid. LINA "Yeah. I know. I think I might kill 'em." IZZY "Mm." His face was impassive. LINA "What?" IZZY "It's a complicated matter," he said thoughtfully. "I wouldn't want you to be harmed. Bee and their little order of Lathanderites are powerful. If you killed one of their missionaries, others would come for you. I would hate for that to happen. The fact that they've shown their face is troublesome, though." LINA "Sounds like they all need to get killed." IZZY "I don't disagree. I would prefer to do it myself." He had been looking off into the distance as he thought, and focused back in on Goro. "Rather than have you or Sakincha risk being hurt." LINA "Oh, yeah? You care about my sorry little ass?" Goro stretched his arms out across the back of the couch. IZZY "I would prefer you were alive," he said, a bit dryly. LINA "'Cause I'm gonna help you get that relic," Goro filled in. IZZY "And because Sam enjoys your company." LINA "Does he?" Goro said blandly, still not confident of that. IZZY "Yes." LINA Goro shrugged, pretending like he was still all confident and shit. "Alright, well. I'll hold back, I guess, unless those fuckers try making a move." IZZY "I can track Bee," Pride said. "Thank you for alerting me. They wanted you on their side, I assume?" LINA "I imagine. Like I said, I didn't talk to 'em myself. But I don't know why else they'd go seeking out my people." IZZY "Indeed." Pride fell silent. His usually smooth, placid expression had darkened, slightly. LINA "Did you, uh. Tell Sam to stay away from 'em, or what? I don't understand why they're still alive." IZZY "The last time he encountered them, he wasn't strong enough," Pride said lowly. "I couldn't have him captured again." LINA Goro's face hardened. "If they get him again, I'm getting him out." IZZY "Not to worry," Pride said, calm again. "If they get him again, I'll take care of it." LINA Goro cocked his head to one side. "How?" IZZY He plucked at a few strings, playing some pleasant chords. "I can manifest in your world, in a mortal body. It's only a fraction of my total power, but it would be enough." LINA Goro thought about that for a moment. "I wanna see." IZZY "It's an emergency measure. I'm not interested in putting Sam through it." LINA "Putting him through it? Eh?" IZZY "If I join him on the mortal plane as a mortal, I'll only have to leave again," Pride explained. "It would be too difficult for him. It's only acceptable to me if he's in grave danger. We've spoken about it," he added. "He agrees." LINA "Ohhh," Goro said, starting off a normal volume and trailing into silence. That was kinda sad. IZZY "You'll see," Pride said pleasantly, "when I cross over properly." LINA "Right," Goro said, a little wary. "Well. Anyhow. You got anything else? I mean, I know I started this conversation, but." IZZY He looked at Goro for a long moment. "You're a clever man," he said. "Insightful. I'd warn you to not instigate trouble with Bee, but if you spoke to them, you might be able to learn interesting things. Find weaknesses." LINA Goro nodded. "Yeah. Maybe so." IZZY "I assume that I don't need to tell you to avoid giving them any information about Sam?" LINA Goro snorted. "I'm a locked fuckin' door, pal." IZZY He smiled faintly. "Good to know. Your elven blood will help prevent you from being charmed, but be aware of it." LINA Goro cocked his head again. "Oh. I didn't know paladins could do that." IZZY "They can. Sam eventually became more resistant, but he struggled with it for a time." LINA "Alright. Well. Yeah, I'll keep my head up. Then again, I always do." He raised an eyebrow. IZZY "Of course." He nodded slightly in deference. "If there's nothing else, I can send you back to your own dream." LINA "Eh, better wake me up. Mishka was all nervous to hear how shit turned out." IZZY "Oh, that's unfortunate. I hope he's reassured." END Category:Text Roleplay